Time to feed them whale at the London Circuit Soviet

I take it partly back. I headed North on the GDE today, up to EPIC, and there has been a significant amount of work done since I was last up there, but it seems like they just stopped working on the mega interchange down at Parkes Way and just started doing the other stuff? Just finish one bit at a time instead of having everything 10% done. Crazy, huh?

molongloid said :

I don’t understand why my rates are greater then where I used to live interstate but the roads and services are poorer. Where does the money go? Not a whinge. A genuine want-to-know. Is it the lower population density? Is it higher salaries? Higher materials costs? Other extra services or programs funded which I’m not aware of? All of the above?

Essentially the ACT is an economically unsustainable proposition, exacerbated by covering costs for the many people from across the east and north borders.

Shift the ACT border out to Bungendore and Murrumbateman, if not Yass, and then you’d have the entire economic, social, and geographical catchment under the one legislation.

Then we’d be sustainable. Without that, only the ‘more population’ push from the Live in Canberra and Catherine Carter regimes will do it.

Very Busy said :

Um, the Transport Minister would have something to do with that.

Acting on the advice of the supposed experts. Not that I’m trying to absolve the Transport Minister – blind Freddie could have seen that the upgrade would have been needed quick-smart.

I don’t understand why my rates are greater then where I used to live interstate but the roads and services are poorer. Where does the money go? Not a whinge. A genuine want-to-know. Is it the lower population density? Is it higher salaries? Higher materials costs? Other extra services or programs funded which I’m not aware of? All of the above?

alaninoz said :

Whoever does traffic planning in the ACT must have got their qualifications from a Weeties packet.

Um, the Transport Minister would have something to do with that. Yep that’s the one, the one that got voted back in by the Canberra community (and the Greens) well after this massively botched project had already been “completed” the first time.

Would have been done long ago if they’d done it right the first time – and at less cost. Whoever does traffic planning in the ACT must have got their qualifications from a Weeties packet.

When I was visiting my gf in Hong Kong one time a few years ago they were just digging out a site near her place to prep foundations. I went back 6mths later and several new skyscrapers were there. When I was first in Canberra in 2004 they were just starting prep on the GDE. It’s still going on. There has been a 60 “work zone” on the on ramp to the Parkway from Parkes Way for, what, 6mths now? I haven’t seen any changes. I can’t see it finishing in the next two years.

Very impressive, and I’ve no doubt that pride and care has been taken in the work. Hence it should last well. However, it’s fairly disingenuous for you to be comparing an emergency road repair with permanent road and bridge works. VERY different kettles of fish.

For those whinging about the state of roadworks in our own backyard, I’d invite you to read the RTA specs for road and bridgeworks, freely available at the RTA website. (not totally ACT relevant, but far better structured and more widely used than the TAMS standards) Reading a lot of the comments on roadworks around here, I get the feeling not many of you have ever had anything to do with construction in this country. There’s a bit more to it than, dig a hole, slap some roadbase in and asphalt over the top.

I’m not saying that our roadwork woes are all down to restrictive QA specs though. (or even that the restrictive specs are a bad thing, although I do believe they are flawed in many ways) A culture of consistently awarding the job to the lowest bidder regardless of suitability is the biggest problem from my perspective.

Brandi said :

Far as I can tell, Cord Civil have assigned two workers to finish the Gunghalin Drive widening, and it looks like they’re doing it only on weekends during breaks in the cricket coverage, so expect completion around 2038.

Cord were doing alright last time I looked. (in my humble opinion as a casual observer on my occasional craaaaawl past anyway) Do you have any specific ideas as to how to do the job in accordance with the specification, to the clients satisfaction, in a shorter timeframe, for the sum of $12 million? If so, I reckon it might be worth your while to stop by Cord’s site office and share some of your ideas with the chaps within. I’m sure they’d be grateful for your expert opinion.

EvanJames said :

The Japanese never cease to amaze, and impress me. They take pride and responsibility in what they do. We used to.

And when properly funded they can manage to put 100s of people onto one job to complete it quickly

The Japanese never cease to amaze, and impress me. They take pride and responsibility in what they do. We used to.